‘The Problem with Apu’ Trailer: New Documentary Looks at Negative Impact of Classic ‘Simpsons’ Character

In the history of “The Simpsons,” few characters outside the title family have had as much cultural impact as Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Springfield convenience store owner. Comedian Hari Kondabolu is out to show why that might be a problem.

The trailer for the upcoming truTV documentary “The Problem with Apu” shows Kondabolu’s conversations with a number of South Asian actors and comedians, including Kal Penn, Hasan Minhaj, and Sakina Jaffrey, all talking about how the character has affected their personal and professional lives.

In addition to these actors, this first look also shows a bit of Kondabolu’s conversation with Dana Gould, former “Simpsons” writer and current “Stan Against Evil” showrunner.

Listeners of “Politically Re-Active,” the podcast that he hosts with W. Kamau Bell, know that Kondabolu has been working on this project for a while. One of the final pieces of the project was getting Azaria to comment on his portrayal. This trailer features numerous clips of voice actor Hank Azaria doing the voice in different public venues, but audiences will have to tune in to see if his Twitter campaign was successful.

Kondabolu’s documentary echoes the 2015 episode of “Master of None” called “Indians on TV,” which tackled similar questions of what South Asian actors are expected to do in auditions.